GOOD MORNING AMERICA - "Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet announced this season's celebrity and professional pairings live on "Good Morning America" on ABC. This season's dynamic lineup of stars will perform for the first time on live national television with their professional partners during the two-hour season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, MARCH 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC via Getty Images)
ANDY DICK, JACOBY JONES, WYNONNA JUDD, DOROTHY HAMILL, D.L. HUGHLEY, LISA VANDERPUMP, VICTOR ORTIZ less

GOOD MORNING AMERICA - "Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet announced this season's celebrity and professional pairings live on "Good Morning America" on ABC. This season's ... more

GOOD MORNING AMERICA - "Dancing with the Stars" hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet announced this season's celebrity and professional pairings live on "Good Morning America" on ABC. This season's ... more

Ladies single figure skating medal winners on Feb. 11, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. From Left to Right are Dianne De Leeuw, Netherland (Silver Medal); Dorothy Hamill, USA (Gold Medal) and Christine Errath, East Germany (Bronze Medal). less

Ladies single figure skating medal winners on Feb. 11, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. From Left to Right are Dianne De Leeuw, Netherland (Silver Medal); Dorothy Hamill, USA (Gold Medal) and Christine Errath, East ... more

Dorothy Hamill of Riverside, Conn., proudly displays the gold medal she received in innsbruck, Austria, Friday night, February 13, 1976, after her victory in the women's figure skating competition at the 12th Winter Olympic Games. less

Dorothy Hamill of Riverside, Conn., proudly displays the gold medal she received in innsbruck, Austria, Friday night, February 13, 1976, after her victory in the women's figure skating competition at the 12th ... more

Photo: ANONYMOUS, AP

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Dorothy Hamill. U.S. Women's Figure Skating champion, rides past crowds that welcomed her home from Munich, April 5, 1974. With her are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers Hamill.

Dorothy Hamill. U.S. Women's Figure Skating champion, rides past crowds that welcomed her home from Munich, April 5, 1974. With her are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers Hamill.

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Dorothy Hamill with her parents at the National Republican Club luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, March 19, 1976. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis)

Dorothy Hamill with her parents at the National Republican Club luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, March 19, 1976. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis)

Photo: Suzanne Vlamis, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill, left, and first lady Betty Ford smile at the Women's National Republican Club Luncheon in New York on Saturday, March 20, 1976.

Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill, left, and first lady Betty Ford smile at the Women's National Republican Club Luncheon in New York on Saturday, March 20, 1976.

Dorothy Hamill in the center smile while wearing her gold medel at the Winter Olympics skating competition in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. Dorothy Hamill wins the gold medel for the USA in the Womes Figure skating competition. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images) less

Dorothy Hamill in the center smile while wearing her gold medel at the Winter Olympics skating competition in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. Dorothy Hamill wins the gold medel for the USA in the Womes Figure ... more

Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

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INNSBRUCK, AUS - 1976: Dorothy Hamill skates on left skate with a big smile bending over at the waist with both arms spread out as her right legs is extended back during the Winter Olympics skating competition in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. Dorothy Hamill wins the gold medel for the USA in the Womes Figure skating competition. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images) less

INNSBRUCK, AUS - 1976: Dorothy Hamill skates on left skate with a big smile bending over at the waist with both arms spread out as her right legs is extended back during the Winter Olympics skating competition ... more

Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

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INNSBRUCK, AUS - 1976: Dorothy Hamill skates on right skate with both arms posed above her head and left leg back during the Winter Olympics skating competition in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. Dorothy Hamill wins the gold medel for the USA in the Womes Figure skating competition. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images) less

INNSBRUCK, AUS - 1976: Dorothy Hamill skates on right skate with both arms posed above her head and left leg back during the Winter Olympics skating competition in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. Dorothy Hamill ... more

American figure skater Dorothy Hamill takes silver in the World Championships at Colorado Springs, 1975. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)

American figure skater Dorothy Hamill takes silver in the World Championships at Colorado Springs, 1975. (Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images)

Photo: Tony Duffy, Getty Images

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United States figure skater Dorothy Hamill performs during the Ladies Single competition at the World Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Co., on March 31, 1975. Hamill placed second.

United States figure skater Dorothy Hamill performs during the Ladies Single competition at the World Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Co., on March 31, 1975. Hamill placed second.

Photo: Anonymous, AP

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United States figure skater Dorothy Hamill seen in action during the 1976 Winter Olympic games held in Innsbruck, Austria in 1976. She displays the style which won her a gold medal.

United States figure skater Dorothy Hamill seen in action during the 1976 Winter Olympic games held in Innsbruck, Austria in 1976. She displays the style which won her a gold medal.

Photo: AP

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Olympic figure skating champion Dorothy Hamill, accompanied by her parents, looks over at a portrait of herself after she unveiled it at the National Art Museum of Sports in New York's Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 1977. The portrait by Germain G. Glidden is the tenth commission in a series designed to bring works of art of noted sports figures to public attention. (AP Photo\Carlos Rene Perez) less

Olympic figure skating champion Dorothy Hamill, accompanied by her parents, looks over at a portrait of herself after she unveiled it at the National Art Museum of Sports in New York's Madison Square Garden on ... more

Photo: Carlos Rene Perez, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Dorothy Hamill of Baltimore skates in the ladies technical program at the Winter Goodwill Games in this file photo from Lake Placid, N.Y., Friday, Feb. 18, 2000. Hamill is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, she said in a statement Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, and that she is being treated at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot,file) less

Dorothy Hamill of Baltimore skates in the ladies technical program at the Winter Goodwill Games in this file photo from Lake Placid, N.Y., Friday, Feb. 18, 2000. Hamill is undergoing treatment for breast ... more

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 16: American figure skater Dorothy Hamill performs during Kaleidoscope a show being taped for FOX television on November 16, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) less

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 16: American figure skater Dorothy Hamill performs during Kaleidoscope a show being taped for FOX television on November 16, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (Photo by ... more

Photo: Mitchell Layton, Getty Images

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NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Figure Skater Dorothy Hamill attends the Figure Skating in Harlem's 2010 Skating with the Stars benefit gala in Central Park on April 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images) less

NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Figure Skater Dorothy Hamill attends the Figure Skating in Harlem's 2010 Skating with the Stars benefit gala in Central Park on April 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan ... more

Photo: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Skaters Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming attend the New York premiere Of "RISE" at Best Buy Theater on February 17, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Skaters Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming attend the New York premiere Of "RISE" at Best Buy Theater on February 17, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Photo: Larry Busacca, Getty Images

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Riverside native Dorothy Hamill among 'Dancing' stars

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Staff and wire reports

Dorothy Hamill captured America's heart when she skated to gold at the 1976 Olympics. Now she hopes to do it all over again, but this time on the dance floor.

Hamill, an iconic figure skater who grew up in Riverside, will compete in the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" next month, ABC announced Tuesday.

Hamill is not he only "Dancing" celebrity with ties to lower Fairfield County. Professional ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani, who grew up in Stamford, partnered with Melissa Rycroft to win last season's competition. Dovolani opened Dance With Me Stamford studio last year with partners, fellow "Dancing with the Stars" professionals and brothers Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Val Chmerkovskiy.

With her bright smile and bubbly personality, Hamill became America's sweetheart and a fashion icon when she won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. Girls across the country flocked to the hairdressers to copy her trademark wedge haircut, and a Dorothy Hamill doll came out the next year.

When the Olympic champion returned to her hometown after the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, she was honored with a parade that seemed to draw just about everyone in Greenwich. The town also honored her by renaming the municipal skating rink after her.

Hamill also was a three-time U.S. champion and won the world title in 1976. She retired shortly after, and joined the Ice Capades in 1977.

In 2008, Hamill announced that she was being treated for breast cancer. Though she overcame the disease, her treatment forced her to miss some of the "Broadway on Ice" tour.

Only months earlier, Hamill made a public appearance in Greenwich, coming to talk about and sign her recent memoir, "Dorothy Hamill: A Skating Life." She spent most of her time fielding questions from budding figure skaters and reminiscing about the good old days of skating at Binney Park, Rye Playland and the Showboat, which has since gone out of business.

"I feel as though I know everybody," Hamill told the audience. "I have such nice childhood memories."

The new "Dancing With the Stars" season kicks off on ABC with a two-hour premiere on March 18.